


the white lily

by loveswan



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Fate & Destiny, First Meetings, Flowers, Love at First Sight, M/M, Royalty, Swans, Very light angst in the end maybe (nothing too bad), read to manifest prince hiiro in your gacha pull
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29066691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveswan/pseuds/loveswan
Summary: Led by the strange smell of freshly bloomed white lilies, where will the young prince find himself?Inspired by the new white lily gacha set and merry xmas branco set.
Relationships: Amagi Hiiro/Shiratori Aira, minor subahokke (they are in love)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	the white lily

**Author's Note:**

> Whipped this up in two days just before gacha goes up because Hiiro Amagi destroyed me and I need him so bad. He better take pity on me and come home.  
> Thank you en [(@subahokke)](twitter.com/subahokke), gigi [(@amagiiz)](twitter.com/amagiiz) and Rin for helping with so much of the editing in such a short amount of time!! Thanks to Wendy and chris too from r/yumenosaki! I owe you guys so much! (sobs)  
> Also the prince outfit and branco outfit are the same colours and they match.  
> Thank you for wanting to read this! Enjoy~  
> 

"Amagi," a deep voice called out to the young prince, who was standing next to his pretty white horse near the edge of the dark and dangerous forest. "It's getting late. Perhaps we should make our way back soon."

Hiiro took in a long breath and looked up at the sky. It was indeed getting dark, and the first glimmers of a darkening night sky were already visible. He turned around to meet the calm face of his companion, Prince Hidaka Hokuto, from the peaceful nation that bordered his own. 

Hiiro nodded and was preparing to mount his horse when the most curious smell tickled his nostrils and awakened his senses.

"Hidaka-sama," Hiiro started, "do you happen to smell something interesting?"

"Interesting…?" Hokuto seemed puzzled. "Is your nose acting funny, Amagi? Have you caught a cold? My grandmother recommends drinking herbal tea if you’re feeling unwell."

"No." Hiiro shook his head. "I am quite fine. My apologies for bothering you, Hidaka-sama. I was just a bit curious." Hiiro glanced again at the darkness that covered the forest, his eyes sparkling and his feet tingling. He couldn't stop feeling excited for some reason. 

"Amagi, if you want to visit the forest, then perhaps we can hold our sword-fighting practice there tomorrow evening. It’s dangerous to enter that place this late at night."

Hiiro's face fell, even though he knew that the older prince had a point. Quietly whispering to the forest to wait for him, he regretfully mounted his horse and made his way home.

* * *

"Hokke~"

"Pardon, Amagi. I may be…slightly occupied at the moment." Hokuto, who was currently being deeply buried in affections by Prince Akehoshi Subaru, sighed as Hiiro peered into the room.

"It's no problem at all, Hidaka-sama!" Hiiro had known the two princes were close friends — he would often hear them chatting or see them sitting close together. After Subaru’s father, a distant relative of the Amagis, had passed away, Hiiro had only ever seen him brighten for the other prince, who in return seemed to address him with fond annoyance. 

"I understand that you are having fun with Subaru-sama right now, so I shall embark on my great journey by myself. It really is no trouble at all!" Hiiro responded cheerfully.

"F-Fun…?" Hokuto asked, his expression softening into one of muted surprise. "Does it look like I'm having fun?"

"Of course!" Hiiro replied, breaking into a smile. "I can see that Hidaka-sama loves Subaru-sama a lot!"

"Yeah, that's true!" Subaru grinned, energetic as ever. "And I love Hokke sooooooo much too~!"

"Stop squeezing me so tightly, Akehoshi," Hokuto protested. He was trying to shake him off, but Hiiro could see the way their hands were gently clasped in each other’s.

Seeing the couple warmly enjoy their time together gave birth to an unfamiliar warm sensation in Hiiro's heart as he began to prepare for his trip to the forest. It would only be a lie if Hiiro claimed he had never wished to experience the wonderful emotions he could tell that they were experiencing, even if he did not understand them just yet.

* * *

The warm breeze tickled the back of Hiiro's neck as he finally faced the dark forest, the calming light of the setting sun filtering onto the dim pathway. It was a spring breeze — rich with the fragrance of flowers and freshness of leaves — but there was a singular smell which stood out to Hiiro the most as he rode atop his majestic white horse. He knew he had never smelled this scent before, but it felt strangely familiar to him, like a fond, forgotten memory. He let his intuition take over and guide him towards the scent he couldn't quite describe. 

_ Well, I will never know what it is until I see it!  _ With strengthened determination, Hiiro gathered his courage and rode into the forest. With every step, the scent seemed to thicken around him, and the butterflies in his stomach only continued to increase instead of calming down. He could sense it: he was getting closer to his destination — wherever that could possibly be.

Suddenly, his horse came to a sharp halt and neighed violently, its head rising up and almost bucking its master.

"Calm down, my friend. What's wrong?" Hiiro tried to soothe the horse, worried that he might have hurt it somehow.

"Mhmhmhm~"

_ What was that? Did I just hear something?  _ Hiiro tried to listen closely. It was a pleasant voice — soft, light, and youthful.

"Who is that?!" Hiiro was alert. Even if the voice was beautiful, there was still the possibility of it belonging to a cunning creature living in the forest. After all, no one truly knew what lay hidden in forests like these — the type only seen in picture books.

Listening closely, Hiiro decided that the voice was coming from his right, where a heavy thicket of bushes blocked his path. Dismounting his horse, he pushed them back to see better and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

"Hmhmhmhm~" He was beautiful, in a strange, ethereal way that didn't seem human, with glowing pale skin and clothes that seemed like they were drawn straight from a fairytale; humming softly to himself as he sat beside the clearest and most beautiful lake Hiiro had ever seen in his life. His shorts left his knees exposed, and Hiiro was curious why the boy was wearing long socks and fur-trimmed brown boots when his feet were deep in the water. The midnight blue ribbon bow on his chest which seemed all too big for his petite body swayed in the cool air, while the golden bell attached to its middle made delightful sounds, acting as an accompaniment to the sweet song he was humming. A small blue hat trimmed in gold and adorned with a green jewel sat atop the boy's head, crowning his light blond tufts of hair. The reflection of the moon glistened brightly on the lake's translucent green surface, and two pairs of silvery white swans swam about among water lilies, occasionally crying out as if they were applauding the performance. The whole scene was covered in a magical, serene light, and Hiiro was afraid to even blink in case he missed any details of the beautiful picture painted before him. Instead, he sharpened his ears to hear the soothing song of the fairy — for that was what he assumed this young boy to be.

He seemed almost transparent in the light, as if he could very well be a mere fragment of Hiiro's imagination. And yet, something seemed so incredibly nostalgic and familiar about him as much as he was beautiful and fascinating. Hiiro stood up carefully, trying to burn the image into his eyes before he regretfully disrupted the magical orchestra.

"Excuse me…?" The prince stepped forward.

The sound of his footsteps caught the boy's attention and he immediately stopped singing.

The forest was enveloped in emptiness once the pleasant singing faded away and Hiiro felt guilty for being the reason behind the awkward silence they were now facing.

"Wh-Who are you?" the boy finally spoke into the stillness, standing up from his spot and nervously scanning the stranger's face for any sign of malice.

"There is no need to be so cautious. I assure you that I am not your enemy," Hiiro said, hoping to earn the boy’s trust, but this only earned him a suspicious look in return.

"H-How did you reach this place, you mere human?"

"Human..? So I was right! You  _ are  _ a fairy!"

_ To find a fairy in an enchanted forest — this is indeed turning out like a fairytale.  _ Hiiro was filled with renewed excitement.

The ‘fairy’ closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Well, I can't be bothered to tell you the sources of my origin anyway, so that will have to do for now." There was a light blush accenting the boy’s cheeks when he opened his eyes, almost as if he was pleased to be called a fairy.

"Um...and you are…?" The fairy tilted his head to a side with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Ah, my apologies! I was rude and did not introduce myself first. My name is Amagi Hiiro, and I happened to hear your beautiful singing, so I decided to approach you." Hiiro moved closer and beamed the brightest smile he could manage at the young fairy before elegantly lowering himself in a dignified bow characteristic of a prince.

"Uh, um...I see." The fairy turned his eyes away, a strange sensation flooding his cheeks. "Um...my name is Shiratori Aira."

"Aira? That is indeed a very pretty name. Very befitting of someone like you," Hiiro smiled sweetly, his eyes softening as he looked closely at the dream-like figure.

"What's that supposed to mean now?" Aira furrowed his brows in a frown. "Also, hey, don't look at me so curiously like that!"

"Oh, I am incredibly sorry!" Hiiro's face immediately fell, eyes dropping to his feet.

_ Oh God... What's wrong with this guy? He looks so troublesome to deal with, _ the fairy thought, a single bead of sweat slipped down his forehead.

"Um...there's no need to apologise or anything. I mean, it's only natural that you'd be curious...I guess."

"Yes! You are very beautiful indeed!" Hiiro declared.

Aira froze, as blood rushed to his cheeks and a sudden, tight pain squeezed at his chest. He tried to distract himself by watching the swans swim in the lake, but the pain only grew as he watched them make pretty heart shapes with their mates.

_ Stop doing that! It's not like that! You all are supposed to be on my side, remember?! _ he tried to communicate with the elegant birds in love, to no avail.

"Hmm? Aira?" Hiiro asked, worried. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Huh?!" Aira shook in surprise as his thoughts were disrupted. "N-No, I'm fine. More importantly, why are you actually here? Surely you couldn't have heard my singing from outside the forest."

"Oh, please forgive me. I must have forgotten to mention the reason for invading your territory." Hiiro straightened his body, his face suddenly serious. "I was led here by a mysterious, yet strangely familiar smell."

"H-Huh? Wait, what do you mean by 'smell'?"

"Hm...I'm unsure how I can describe it, but…" Hiiro looked around the clearing in the forest — at the various colours, the beautiful reflection of the moon on the lake, the gorgeous swans draped in pink luminescence and the pretty pale fairy. He stepped forward towards him, earning a squeak from the boy, and to his delight, he realised his earlier hunch had been correct — the fairy appeared to be the source of the scent which had led him here.

"W-What are you doing?!" Aira was flushing with rage...or was it embarrassment?

"I was right!" Hiiro exclaimed brightly. "My apologies for frightening you, but the sweet fragrance…This place is the source — particularly you." His gloved right hand stretched forward and grabbed the fairy boy's arm with strange familiarity.

"Huh?!" Aira couldn't hold it in anymore. He had been suspicious of the strange boy from the moment they met, but he was proving to be more bothersome with every passing minute. And yet, somewhere in the depths of his heart, he didn't  _ really _ want him to go away just yet. 

"What do you mean?!” Aira desperately tried to hide his bright red face. “And um...can you please let go of my hand? It's kinda weird, y'know... This whole situation is." 

"Ah, I'm very sorry. It appears that no matter what I do, I end up troubling you. I am indeed as stupid as they say I am," Hiiro chuckled lightly as he let go of Aira's arm, but the tone of his words was unmistakably serious.

"I-It's not like that," Aira said, filled with sudden guilt. "Um...I  _ might _ have an idea what this 'smell' you're talking about is but…" Aira sighed. "Can you close your eyes for a second?"

Hiiro agreed and tightly shut his eyes.

"Don't open them no matter what, okay?" And with that warning, Aira shyly reached for Hiiro's hands and joined them with his own as he closed his own eyes and started singing another sweet melody, different from the one he was previously singing.

Hiiro's face flushed with pleasure as he slowly drifted away to the realm of dreams, one filled with flickering lights and beautiful colours, his ears filled with the pleasant song of the swan fairy.

Aira kept singing till a pretty flower, pure and white, glowing with a pale yellow light, materialised itself above their conjoined hands and gently fell onto the ground.

Sensing the presence of the flower, Aira stopped singing and gently opened his eyes, followed by Hiiro instantly waking up from his dream.

Aira immediately, albeit a bit regretfully, let go of Hiiro's hands and bent down to pick up the flower — it was a pure white lily. The fairy boy gently twisted the flower's stalk in his hand, admiring its elegance and beauty.

_ So you're that type of person after all, huh?  _ Aira smiled to himself.

"Here you go!" Aira offered the flower to an awestruck Hiiro.

"I...Is that a—"

"A white lily?" Aira smiled even more. "Yes…" He paused. "And I think it's perfect for you. Please do accept it."

Hiiro smiled at the genuine statement as he carefully took the flower in his hand and brought it close to his nose, inhaling in its scent — sweet and mild, yet strangely strong in character.

_ Yes, this is indeed the smell that led me here,  _ Hiiro thought as his mouth curved into a satisfactory smile.

"If you wish so," Hiiro turned to Aira and met his gaze with utmost sincerity. "Then I shall gladly accept this gift as proof of this fated meeting of ours."

"Wh-What?!" Aira blushed profusely. "It had nothing to do with me, though!"

"Hmm? But weren't you the one who led me here?"

"No!" Aira denied fiercely. He could hear the swans screech as they teased him. "Urgh, don't lose the flower or anything, okay? It might prove to be helpful...maybe. If possible, try to carry it with you at all times."

"Okay! I will be under this magical flower's care, then! Maybe I should pin it to my clothes or something," Hiiro considered as he tried to fix the flower right above his left breast.

"B-Be careful," Aira warned. "Ugh! Well, give it to me. I'll fix it for you. You're always used to having people attend to you at home, right?"

Aira carefully pinned the flower neatly on Hiiro's elaborate suit, using a golden pin Hiiro didn't remember him having before.

_ He's so pretty. _ Aira couldn't help but blush again as he fumbled with Hiiro’s clothes. The sight of a noble, young prince with a white lily pinned on his heart was indeed one to behold.

"Well, there! That's done! Now take good care of it. It'll never wilt and die, of course."

Hiiro curiously inspected the pretty lily and smiled at Aira. "Thank you, my friend. I shall treasure it forever."

"Hmm, you better."

The pretty swans in the lake paused their displays of affection to cry at that comment, causing Aira to glare at them angrily.

"Well, it's getting pretty late. I think it's time for you to go home." Aira's voice was mildly coated with sadness despite his indifferent tone.

"Ah, you are right! I will cause worry if I'm gone for too long." Hiiro turned back and looked back at the path he had followed. "But—" the prince looked at the fairy, eyes glistening with hope and unwillingness to leave. "Will we...meet again?"

Aira could feel his heart skip a beat.

"Well, I can't say for sure but...we might...maybe." Aira gulped down the huge lump in his throat.

_ Don't worry about meeting again. All this will be nothing but a pleasant dream once you reach the other side,  _ Aira thought wistfully.

Hiiro's eyes lit up. "Well, if there is even a 0.1% chance that I will encounter you again, then that is enough for me right now."

_ Because I feel like...we  _ will  _ meet again...soon.  _ Hiiro smiled.

Aira looked away again. "Sheesh~ Why are you so…?"

Hiiro laughed at that as he turned around and started walking back before shooting a final glance at the fairy again.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Gonna kiss my hand in farewell like a true prince or something?" Aira asked sarcastically, in a sudden burst of courage.

"Oh, like they do in fairytales? Do you want me to do that, Aira?" Hiiro asked earnestly.

"N-No! Don't take jokes like that so seriously! Agh~ Just leave already before you make things even more confusing."

Hiiro smiled and waved at him in farewell. "I will never forget you...Aira."

Aira's expression froze before he laughed.

_ Of course you will, you idiot. _

"Yeah, I could never forget you either."

And so, the young prince waved goodbye till he disappeared behind the dark green thickets. Aira could hear the neigh of a horse followed by hoofsteps, and he let out a sigh as he recollected everything that had just happened.

_ That sure was an interesting guy, alright… _ Aira mused to himself.

The swans started crying and continued forming heart shapes with their long necks even as Hiiro left and Aira glared at them with irritation. "Hey! Stop that already! What's with you all?! It's _not_ _like that._ Ugh! It's not like I'm even gonna see him again, anyway."

_ Well, I'd love to, but...fate is cruel. And it'd be safer for someone like him to not get involved with a dangerous creature like me. But maybe—  _

Aira stared at the path Hiiro had followed before he disappeared.

_ This is wishful thinking, but maybe...if it's him — the one who summoned the white lily — then he might just be able to change destiny. _

"Yeah," Aira chuckled lightly as a single salty teardrop fell onto the surface of the lake, the disturbance causing silent ripples. "I can't forget you, even if you forget me."

**Author's Note:**

> I have more ideas so let me know if you want to see what happens next and whether they will be reunited or not.  
> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed and sorry if it sucked.
> 
> Update: it took me 80 pulls but I'm not too mad because even Branco Aira took exactly 80 pulls. So yeah, Prince Hiiro x Fairy Aira real alright  
> (hope you get/got Hiiro too if you are scouting/scouted)
> 
> stan hiiai  
> twt [@hiiairabu](twitter.com/hiiairabu)


End file.
